Chapter 14: For a Bottle of Rum, Mate!

For the pirate, the fate that she had in mind was worse than becoming a zombie or even death itself, she had woven a most evil spell. He begged her not to cast it as her undead lovers began to bring the treasure that he had buried when he first arrived, at least a portion of it that they knew of, and piled it upon his shackled body.

"Ye will sleep the sleep of the undead, to be neither awake nor asleep but in a dream like world," she laughed. "All the time being aware that ye are forgotten by all who knew ye or ever had, as if ye never lived."

He screamed every obscenity he knew at her as they piled more gold and jewels upon him.

"You know Stoney we are a weird pair," Karen said with a sigh as she felt his arms around her as she enjoyed soaking in the hot sudsy water. They were together in an outdoor bathtub made for mammals their size and were looking out towards the blue ocean, which was beyond the tropical trees.

"Yeah, I know a fox and a cat," the fox replied. "I don't think that's weird."

"No silly! Not only that, but we are both species that came from the hot dry desert and yet we both love the sea and water, don't you think that is weird?"

"Never thought about it that much before, I guess when the gods made us two they had a sense of humor?" He hugged her tighter and she gave a content sigh. "My dad wants us to come back into town for dinner and the guys want to see what the town offers in the way of nightlife."

"Do you think you're mom and dad will ever get married? We've got Cooper and Billy's wedding coming up when we get back too."

For Stone it was like a bucket of cold water was tossed upon him from above, Karen had never mentioned marriage before and the fox was unsure where this conversation was heading. "I don't know," he carefully answered, trying not to stammer as he spoke. "Both are pretty set in their ways and like their alone time, foxes are like that you know." She stiffened slightly when he said that and he wished he hadn't added that last part, although it was true.

"Do you need alone time from me?" she tentatively asked in a strained voice.

He nuzzled her neck and sighed. "The problem I have is that I can't get enough time with you," he replied.

She giggled as he licked her ear. "Silver tongued fox!" she admonished him. Then her phone went off and she gave a slight groan, "That's my parents, I guess I need to get out and answer it."

She tried to sit up and get out of the tub, but the fox grabbed her waist and pulled her back into the water with a splash. "You can call them back later," he said in a husky voice. "Much, much later!"

It was much later by the time they came into town to meet his father at a popular local waterfront bar and Stone found Finnick outside of the bar smoking a cigar again. The younger fox was surprised to see Nick was also out there with him puffing on a cigar too. Both seemed to be drinking rum on ice, probably the top shelf expensive brand.

"You want a puff?" Finn asked his son and chuckled when the other fennec fox gave him a disgusted look and shook his head no. "It's an acquired taste."

The red fox laughed at his friend's comment before putting his cigar down to take a sip of his drink.

Stone joined them at the railing and looked out towards the ocean, before loudly sighing.

"Watsup!" the older fennec fox asked. "You look like you've got something heavy on your mind, girl troubles already?"

"Kind of," Stone answered, his ears were laid back flat and he did indeed looked troubled. "Karen has said few things this afternoon that sounded like she wants to get married."

"Oh!" Finn replied as he cast a look up at the taller red fox, who rolled his eyes as he was preparing to slink away to give the father and his son some privacy. "And you're not ready to get married?"

"I don't know? But it made me think about why you and mom didn't get married? I mean when you were much younger."

The older fox took another draw on his cigar before he sat it in the ashtray. "I was a coward," he answered. "I was younger than you are and foolish. Maybe I should have pushed her to ask me and now that I'm older and wiser, she won't have me."

The younger fox's ears shot up in surprise, even Nick looked back at his friend in shock. "I've hinted to her twice that I'm interested, but she said that she doesn't want to get tied down," Finn laughed. "She even offered to live with me, but not get married."

"What about you Nick?" Stone asked the larger red fox who had moved to the other side of the deck. "Have you and Judy thought about it?"

"I plan to ask her after all this blows over," the red fox replied with a grin as he stubbed out his cigar and tossed back the last of his drink. "That is if I get brave enough to ask her father's permission."

"Are you afraid that Stu will say no?" Finn asked as he also ground his cigar out and Stone realized it was the same cigar he had been smoking earlier.

"I'm afraid Stu will beat me up!" Nick laughed. "Never piss off a farmer, he's a lot stronger than he looks and has at least a dozen fox tasers."

"It's much easier in our fox culture, letting the vixen do the asking," the older fennec fox said as he slipped the now cold cigar into his pocket. "So is my boy thinking about marriage or not?"

Stone's ears drooped and he sighed. "I don't know?" he almost whined out. "I mean I'm not exactly a source of steady income."

"Karen is and who says the male has to always be the bread winner in the family?" Finn said as he put his paw on his son's back.

"It'll look like I'm mooching off of her!" the younger fox groaned. "And there's the issue of us never having kittens or puppies."

"You two can always adopt," Nick offered. "Judy and I have the same issue."

"At least you don't have any puppies that you didn't know you had until one shows up at your van's door," the older fennec fox chuckled. "But that turned out to be one of the best days of my life though."

Stone smiled at his father and hugged Finn before he replied, "Mine too, but…"

"Stop with the excuses!" Finn suddenly snapped. "Look son, it's your choice but just don't run away from her. Karen is the love of your life and you will become a bitter old grouchy fox if you lose her."

"Yeah Stoney, don't grow up to be like your old pop," Nick laughed.

Finn replied with a mock growl.

"I don't know!" Stone whined again.

Inside Cooper was holding Billy's paw as they sat at the table with Karen and Judy. The two females were quizzing them about their wedding plans. "We're getting married in the park at Seaside and the reception is going to be at the Blue Mermaid Bar and Grill," Billy said with a smile on his muzzle. "It won't be a big wedding, just the villagers, friends and family."

Karen looked over at Cooper and the wallaby slightly frowned at the mention of family, he was still estranged from his father who refused to accept his son's sexuality.

"Doesn't Seaside have a nice old church?" Judy asked. The bunny was a bit tipsy and hiccupped slightly. "I always wanted a big church wedding with the white gown, flowers, the whole works."

"What do you think honey?" Billy laughed. "You want to wear the white bridal gown or should I?"

"In your dreams mate!" Cooper laughed back.

"I'm not into that," Billy replied and leaned over to kiss his lover's cheek. "Let's stick with the suits, but I get to wear the white tie."

"I'll wrestle you for it!" Cooper added with a devilish grin.

"Promises…promises…" Billy chuckled and winked at the other wallaby.

Reggie plopped himself into a chair and loudly sighed, "I've seem more action at a rhino convention."

Karen looked around and realized that not only were they the smallest mammals in the bar, but also the youngest. The calypso band started up again with their rhythmic and harmonic vocals, along with the steel drums. "It does seem to be an older crowd here tonight," she observed.

"Let's go find where the locals hang out," the meerkat suggested. "Some place with better music."

They paid for their drinks and walked together down the waterfront. "Any suggestions," Nick asked Finn. "You've had a day more to scope out the landscape."

"The Gun Battery Bar is just below the old castle and seems to be a popular local joint," the older fennec fox answered with a yawn. "It's a little rough, but they say the beer is cold and the music is reggae. I'm not sure how they'll treat tourist though?"

"I think we can handle it," Judy slurred out.

Nick put a loving paw on her head. "I think this is where we part ways tonight," he chuckled. "My honey bunny is a bit tipsy." Without much protest, he led her away towards their hotel.

Finn looked at the parting fox and bunny before he turned to the younger mammals. "Look guys, I'm a bit beat myself," he said with another yawn. "I think I'll call it a night too!" He hugged Stone and Karen before wandering off towards the Youth Hostel. The younger fox shook his head when he saw his father pausing to light up the cigar again and take another puff.

"Do you think he'll ever give up smoking mate?" Cooper asked.

"Not really," Stone chuckled. "He's like my mom, too set in his ways."

After a long walk through town, they made it to the bar and the music was blaring. However, as soon as they walked inside, the music stopped and everyone turned to look at them. "Oh shit!" Reggie muttered. "We're so dead!"

A singer with the band looked down at them and his beaded earrings musically clinked together as he squinted to see them better through the smoke. "Dude is that Stone Kole, the champion surfer?" he called out.

Stone waved at the crowd. "Rad tunes brah, heard you on the street!" he called back.

"Awesome possum!" the singer laughed using Stone's well known phrase. "Someone get that fox a brew!"

The locals crowded around Stone and his friends, drinks were shoved into their paws as the music began again.

They partied late into the night and finally returned to the resort. Stone carried a half empty bottle of Champagne while he staggered with Karen towards their bungalow. As he was walked along the trail, the little fox saw something glittering in the darkness and stooped to pick it up. "What's that?" Karen hiccuped.

"I don't know but it looks like a gold doubloon, maybe a pirate lost it?" Stone snickered as he held it up in his paw.

"Probably a cheap trinket from the gift shop," Karen laughed as Stone slipped it into his pocket.

They made it into their room and Stone put the now empty bottle on the table before stripping and joining Karen in the bed. He slipped under the sheets next to her and frowned when he heard her give a little snore. Carefully so as not to wake her, he pulled off her clothes and piled them on the bed before he curled himself around her. She instinctively reached for his tail and pulled it over her and he heard her softly purr before he himself fell asleep.

He dreamt of cannons firing, strange chanting and being sealed inside a dark dank room.

Stone's big ears flicked as he was startled awake by the strange sound that seemed to be within the hut's room. It was if a voice was very softly speaking in an even fainter whisper at the end of the bed. He strained to listen for the sound and he could barely hear it amongst the roaring sound of the surf down the trail. "Rum…rum…where's the bloody run?" it sounded like someone was asking.

The fennec fox sat up and looked around, but he didn't see anything usual with the room. The moonlight was steaming through the curtains, lighting the room up as if it was already daybreak. He felt Karen stir and roll onto her stomach and was startled as her tail softly swished along his side.

Suddenly, there was a loud thump as the empty bottle of Champagne fell off the table and rolled across the floor. The fox's eyes widen in disbelief as it mysteriously stopped and righted itself upon the wooden tiles. "Oops, I don't know me own strength mate!" a voice clearly said from inside the room.

"What the hell is going on?" Stone yipped as he jumped out of the bed and frantically looked around.

"Oh my, a fox…a little fox…a very naked little fox," the now amused voice remarked.

"Stoney?" Karen sleepily called out to him. "Are you okay?"

The small fox turned to watch as the cat sat up and pulled the covers over her naked body. Then his eyes widen with fear as he looked back behind him to see that a wispy mist was beginning to form into a still transparent, but definitely identifiable form of a tall lean coyote. It was dressed in what appeared to be an old fashioned doublet jacket and vest, along with black canvas pants. The figure turned toward the little fox and swept what looked like a tricorne hat from its head as it bowed. "Captain Jack Sp...Spa...damn this curse! Just call me Captain Jack and I'm at your service mate," he proudly announced. "Now where do you keep the rum?"

"Where did you come from?" Stone stuttered.

"Who are you talking to Stoney?" Karen asked.

It was at that moment that Stone Kole wished he had stayed in Zootopia.